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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOC Packet 2025-05-08 PLANNING DEPARTMENT 215 N. Tioga St 14850 607.273.1747 www.townithacany.gov 4/30/2025 TO: Codes and Ordinances Committee: Bill Arms Chris Jung Eva Hoffmann Margaret Johnson Rob Rosen, Chair Susie Gutenberger-Fitzpatrick FROM: Christine Balestra, Senior Planner RE: Next Codes and Ordinances Committee Meeting May 8, 2025 The next meeting of the Codes and Ordinances Committee is scheduled for Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 5:30 pm in the Town Board Room, located in Town Hall at 215 North Tioga Street. A quorum of the Town of Ithaca Town Board may be present at this meeting. However, no official Town Board business will be conducted. The draft minutes from the April 10, 2025, COC meeting are attached. If you cannot attend this meeting, please notify Abby Homer as soon as possible at (607) 273 - 1747, or ahomer@townithacany.gov. cc: Susan H. Brock, Attorney for the Town C.J. Randall, Director of Planning Marty Moseley, Director of Code Enforcement Abby Homer, Administrative Assistant Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk (email) Town Administrative staff (email) Town Code Enforcement staff (email) Town Planning staff (email) Town Public Works staff (email) Media TOWN OF ITHACA CODES AND ORDINANCES COMMITTEE 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (607) 273-1747 PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will be held in person in the Town Board Room at Town Hall, 215 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY, on May 8, 2025, at 5:30pm. Members of the public may join the meeting via Zoom: • Join Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87531393743 • Zoom meeting ID: 875 3139 3743 • Dial in phone: 929-436-2866 Meeting of May 8, 2025 – 5:30 P.M. AGENDA 1. Member comments/concerns. 2. Review draft minutes from the April 10, 2025, COC meeting. 3. Continue review of Initial Draft Subdivision of Land regulations (existing regulations: https://ecode360.com/8660770), Article VIII. 4. Other business: • Next meeting agenda. Town of Ithaca Planning Department April 30, 2025 1 TOWN OF ITHACA CODES AND ORDINANCES COMMITTEE (COC) Meeting of April 10, 2025 – 5:30 p.m. Shirley A. Raffensperger Board Room, Town Hall Draft Minutes Members Present: Rob Rosen, Chair; Bill Arms; Chris Jung; Eva Hoffmann; Susie Gutenberger- Fitzpatrick; Margaret Johnson. Staff Present: David O’Shea, Director of Engineering; Dana Magnuson, Senior Code Officer; Marty Moseley, Director of Code Enforcement; Susan Brock, Attorney for the Town; Christine Balestra, Senior Planner; C.J. Randall, Director of Planning. Guests: none The meeting was recorded on Zoom and streamed live on the Town of Ithaca YouTube channel. 1. Member comments/concerns. Rob asked if the committee wanted to revisit the discussion about leaving the definition proposed for “buffer area” as is, which is “An area bordering the lot lines of the property on which a clustered is to be built, within which there shall be no permanent structures. A parking lot shall be considered a permanent structure for the purposes of these regulations.” He wondered if anyone wanted to consider not allowing temporary structures in the buffer zones along with not allowing permanent structures. The committee decided to not revisit the discussion. 2. Review minutes from March 13, 2025, COC meeting. Rob moved to accept the minutes; Susie seconded; Susan Brock suggested one word change. All members voted in favor of approval of the March 13, 2025, COC meeting minutes. 3. Continued review of Draft Subdivision of Land regulations: Article VI. Terminology FLAG LOT-Discussed at the last COC meeting, the committee asked that this definition be consistent or similar with the New Neighborhood Code (NNC) and wherever else used in Town Code. Staff will wordsmith and combine/compare the language in the sections of code. Committee would like to use the graphic that was shown in the NNC as well. HIGHWAY-Referenced “Transportation Network,” which is a different section of current law and might confuse people. Dave O’Shea will check Highway Law for possible other terms/language. LOT, LOT AREA & LOT LINE-Susan noted these all need to be consistent with existing Town Code Zoning Chapter definitions. LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT-The committee discussed the acreage calculation method. This language should be clarified to indicate that no more than 5 acres total in aggregate shall be transferred. The following sentences should also be moved from the definition to the beginning of the law, where lot line adjustments were previously explained: “While not a subdivision, lot line adjustments are land divisions shall be approved in the same manner as exempt subdivisions under this chapter. If a lot line change does 2 not meet this definition of being a lot line adjustment, then it shall be referred to the Planning Board for review and consideration of approval.” Also change “new” in the first sentence to “additional.” MASTER PLAN-Delete; it’s not used in the law. MULTISTORY DWELLING UNITS–Delete; it’s not used in the law. OFFICIAL MAP-In second line, change “other public proposals” to “parks.” Remove the last sentence. This should match the way the Official Town Map is defined elsewhere in Town law. PRIMARY THOROUGHFARE-Remove and put into the Site Design and Development Criteria Manual instead. RESUBDIVISON-Possibly delete or wordsmith to make it easier to tell the difference between this and lot line adjustment. Staff will double check. SEQR-Spell out/add Article 8 of the NY Environmental Conservation Law and its implementing regulations at 6 NYCRR Part 617). SETBACK LINE-Marty will review. SITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA-The committee discussed this definition. It was unclear to Engineering if the definition applied to public and private infrastructure, noting that NYS Fire Code dictates private roads. This spurred a discussion about private roads versus public roads, the pros, and cons of the costs for developers for each. C.J. brought up the Town’s Complete Streets Policy and the conversation went back to revised §234-23 Transportation Network, where the language had the requirement to meet the Town’s standards for public dedication (now being built into a comprehensive Site Design and Development Criteria Manual). Dave explained that any road that does not meet the standard is not presumed to be dedicated and generally is maintained privately by the neighborhood HOA and must meet the NYS Fire Code minimum standards. Related, it was unclear if the manual listed in the definition really should apply to “all proposed construction,” or if it should be narrowly tailored and clarified. The committee ended with the above definition and will pick up with the same definition at the next meeting. Bill will submit a written summary of his remaining proposals to staff and the committee before the next meeting. Planning and Engineering staff explained that they will need at least two months to revise the draft regulations once the committee has completed the current review. Rob suggested a one-month break in June, and then other COC work plan items could be reviewed by the committee in the interim. However, this will depend on staff availability to prepare other work plan items in the meantime. 4. Other business: Next meeting – May 8, 2025. Susie, Margaret and C.J. will not be at the meeting. However, Rob, Eva, Bill, and Chris J. all noted that they would be present so there would be a quorum of members. The main agenda item is to review the final pages of the Draft Subdivision Regulations. The meeting adjourned at 7:04 p.m.